


Artemis/Only The Winds

by magicalartist (OriginalMagicalArtist), OriginalMagicalArtist



Series: Brave Enough Universe Part Two [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Brave Enough Universe, Crossover, F/F, Multiple Crossovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22582414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalMagicalArtist/pseuds/magicalartist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalMagicalArtist/pseuds/OriginalMagicalArtist
Summary: The Doctor left her companions safely in modern day England and went on a dangerous mission to save the woman she loved. Something goes terribly wrong and she finds herself alone in Halifax, England, in 1834. She meets new friends and encounters old enemies in her quest to be reunited with her fam.This story is based in the Brave Enough Universe Series from my  old magicalartist account, hence using that pseud for this story. There is a very good chance this story may include some familiar faces from that series later on in the story. After all, this is a story with the Doctor and her magical blue box which travels through time and space. Who knows who she might encounter on her journey?
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854), Thirteenth Doctor/River Song, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Series: Brave Enough Universe Part Two [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624996
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	1. Underground

**Author's Note:**

> As is often the case with the Brave Enough Series, the inspiration for this latest story comes partly from Lindsey Sterling's newest album, Artemis. Some of the chapters will be based upon and match the tone of the songs off the album. 
> 
> Also, as was the case with Brave Enough, this crossover is a bit of a fix-it fic that saves someone a show killed off. But this story will also explore the backstory of the Brave Enough Series and show you how characters from different universes crossed paths. If you have not read the brave enough series, you should be able to enjoy this story independently without too much confusion.

She awoke alone, body aching from head to toe, clothes filthy and worn. A new gash in her coat had her groaning. Her ears rang loudly, and her vision was blurry and pulsating. " Stop fizzing!" she barked at her mind, taking her two palms and smacking them against either side of her head. It seemed to do the trick, or at least the pain from smacking her head distracted her from the loud ringing. 

She sat up, glancing around, not recognizing her surroundings. Sighing, she got to her feet, dusting herself off. She knelt in the soft damp ground, grabbing a fistful of dirt, putting some of it in her mouth. 

She promptly spat it back out, “ 1834…. England. _Lovely_ ”. She was back with her fam... almost. 

She turned on her heel, “ Right, what the hell am I doing here?” 

She tried to search her memory, but the last thing she recalled was saying goodbye to Yaz, Graham and Ryan. 

_“Why can’t we go with you?” The Doctor hated the sad expression on Yaz's face. She wished her young companion could come with her, but she knew better._

_The doctor sighed, gently grabbing Yaz’s shoulders, “ Because I promised your mum, I’d keep you safe. And where I am going is the opposite of safe. In fact, it may be one of the most dangerous places in the universe. Your mum said don’t lose her Doc, and I don’t intend to”._

_Ryan smirked slightly, " watched all the Extended editions of the Lord of the Rings again Doc?"_

_she waved him off, I don't know what you're talking about Ryan"_

_Yaz ignored their banter, distraught over being left behind, her brows furrowed in frustration, “ But I want to go Doctor. You shouldn't go alone!”_

_The doctor managed an uneasy smile, “ If I succeed, I won’t be alone long”._

_Graham shook his head, “ You sure about this Doc? Not that I’m complaining about not being in danger for once, but Yaz is right, you don’t travel alone very well”_

_The doctor flashed him a grin, “ I’ll be alright Graham. I promise. As soon as I can, I’ll come back”._

_“Be careful Doctor and hurry back” Ryan stated._

_His eyes gleamed with a knowing look and she nodded gratefully, clapping his shoulder with her right hand, “ I will. Now, off to go save my wife”_

_She took off for the Tardis, as Yaz choked on her tea in surprise, “ Wife? You have a wife?!”_

_That was the last thing the Doctor heard as she closed the doors of the Tardis with a snap of her fingers and yanked the lever. The coordinates were already programmed in._

_The Tardis wheezed and shook, and if the Doctor wasn’t mistaken, the Tardis was as worried about this plan of hers as she was. But she had spent decades looking for a way to save her, and she wasn’t going to pass up the best, no, the only opportunity that had presented itself in all that time._

_She closed her eyes, sighing, “ I’m coming Sweetie”_

_She could see that cocky smirk, wild blonde hair. She could almost hear the snide remark in response as the Tardis hurtled towards it’s destination._

She tried to recall what happened after that, but there was nothing. The doctor opened her eyes and sighed in frustration. She couldn’t remember the woman’s name, her apparent wife. The woman she had gone to save. She could see her face, clearly in her name, could hear the tinkering laugh, but no name surfaced in her mind. All she could feel was the aching in her chest, missing a woman she couldn’t entirely remember, missing her companions, missing her Tardis. 

Gasping, she checked her pockets desperately, realizing in horror that she had no Tardis key, no sonic, nothing. Not even a scrap of psychic paper. She was trapped in 1834 with no memory of how she’d arrived there, and no way out. 

The doctor huffed in irritation before shrugging it off, “ oh well. I’ve been in worse scrapes than this”. She licked her finger and stuck it in the air, turning on the spot, “ Road’s this way, come on!” before remembering that no one was with her. Grumbling under her breath, she set off. 

After a few minutes, she could see the rock wall that separated the road from the rolling fields, and sighed in relief until she heard a scuffle. She could hear a man’s voice, low and threatening, the crunch of fists making contact with flesh and the answering groan. She hurried forward, fury rising like a tide in her chest, that anger causing her to growl as she spotted a tall, well built man pinning a woman to the ground with a cane with one hand while grabbing at her with the other. The woman was fighting valiantly, but losing. 

The Doctor got near enough for him to hear her and yelled. 

\--------------------------------------------------------

“Oi!”

Anne’s attacker spun at the sound of another voice barking at him, his grip around her throat weakening enough for her to slip from his grasp unnoticed and crawl behind a shrub As the unfamiliar man, another hired goon from out of town assessed the situation, Anne gingerly touched her face, fingers coming away coated in blood. _Well hell, not this again_. She’d have to figure out a way to cover her wound before anyone realized what had happened to her.

“ Pick on someone your own size!” Anne’s head snapped up at the voice coming closer. Anne leaned out from her hiding spot just enough to see a woman,( at least she thought it was a woman) dressed more peculiarly than even Anne would dare, marched up the path towards the man, a long coat billowing in the wind. The woman came to a stop in front of Anne’s attacker, hands on her hips, meeting his glower head on. In spite of the fact that the blonde was tiny in comparison to Anne’s attacker, her posture and peculiar manner made her seem larger than life. 

“ Who the hell are you?”

The woman arched a brow at him, “ I’m the Doctor. And who the hell are you? No… Better question, why are you beating up defenseless women?”

Anne scoffed, “ I’m hardly defenseless”

The man seized the opportunity when he saw the doctor was distracted, swinging his meaty fist directly for her face. Faster than lightning, the doctor’s hand snapped out, putting a single finger on his chest, and he froze on the spot. 

Anne scrambled, grabbing her cane and swinging it at the broad part of his shoulders the blow landing with a resounding crack. He crumpled and the doctor stared in shock at the man as he blacked out from pain before turning sharp, angry eyes on Anne, “ What was that for?! I had em!”

Anne shook her head, “ I saved you!”

The woman shook her head, pointing at the man now crumpled on the ground, whimpering in pain. “You broke his back is what you did”

“Serves him right for hiding in the brush and attacking me!” 

The blonde caught sight of Anne’s swelling cheek and blossoming black eye, and shrugged “ Fair enough”

She dug through her pockets, “ Oh right! Empty pockets, I hate empty pockets…”

Anne watched the woman fiddle with several more pockets in her strange pants and then inside her coat before giving up in frustration, “ No sonic. Hope I didn’t lose it, it was handmade...ah well, nothing I can do about it now. First things first.” she knelt beside the man, checking his pulse, “ Well, he’s breathing, seems hes out cold”

Anne nodded, “ Good” she turned on her heel and began stumbling up the road, the doctor calling out behind her, “ Oi! Where you going?”

Anne didn’t turn around, focusing on trying to keep her feet under her, “ Back home to my wife”

The strange woman caught up to her, firmly wrapping her arm around her waist, throwing one of Anne’s arms around her shoulder, “ Yeah, do you really think you’ll make it in this state?”

Anne tried escaping her grip, ending up falling to the ground with a groan, “ I’ve been worse off”

“ Right, sure you have. But I’m a doctor, let me help”

Anne waved her off, “ Women can’t be doctors, believe me I’ve tried. Besides, I don’t need your help”

The doctor backed away, her eyes glittering with exasperation and amusement “ Alright then, off you pop”

She watched, hands fidgeting in her pockets as Anne tried to get back to her feet before finally giving up and landing on her rear with a thud and a groan.

The Doctor was literally vibrating with barely restrained energy“ Ready for my help yet?”

Anne glared at her, before groaning in pain again as another wave of nausea rolled through her gut. The Doctor frowned, moving quickly to kneel beside her, ignoring Anne’s protests. The woman glanced at her bruised face, and the way she cradled her left arm. 

“ Your arm’s dislocated, and your ribs are bruised aren’t they?” Anne watched the woman curiously as she gently prodded Anne’s battered form, her frown becoming more pronounced every time Anne groaned. 

The Doctor met her gaze, her caramel eyes filled with compassion, “ I can help, if you’ll let me”

Anne sighed, and after a moment nodded her assent. 

“Best get that shoulder back in sooner rather than later, yeah? Then we take it from there?”

Anne swallowed, knowing this was going to hurt, a lot. she nodded in agreement, and the Doctor gently positioned herself, “ Sorry for this, I truly am.” Anne screamed as the Doctor yanked and twisted her arm, then promptly caught her as Anne blacked out. 

When she woke, it was dark, and the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.

She glanced around, noticing that the strange doctor woman had moved her. She was now tucked underneath a bridge, back against the brick mortar, feet splayed out, inches from the water. She groaned in pain as she tried to move, her muscles stiff and protesting loudly. She groaned again, giving up on moving for the time being. Instead she watched a centipede make its way across the underside of the bridge towards her until her eyelids were too heavy to remain open. 

Some time later, she woke to the muffled sound of voices. One stood out from the rest, “ She’s just over here.”

Anne , much to her chagrin, welcomed the return of the Doctor’s strange accent, if only because it meant she was no longer alone.

The Doctor appeared suddenly beside her, ducking her head beneath the bridge, “ How are you holding up Lister?”Anne furrowed her brows at the strange woman who was now vibrating with excitement and babbling about how she had finally met the formidable Lister and left her in a ditch. John appeared a moment later along with James. Both men tried to hide their shock at the condition Anne was in and failing. As gently as they could, they lifted her out from underneath, the doctor behind them, “Watch your head Lister.” 

“ _The_ Anne Lister. Yaz is gonna kill me when she finds out. Lord. Bill woulda had words for me too... ” The Doctor muttered more unintelligible nonsense under her breath. Anne struggled to understand her and gave up as the men maneuvered her towards the steep bank. 

Anne let James and John guided her gently up the bank, grimacing as two more men appeared above her. “ You needn’t have made all this fuss, I’m fine”

James nodded, amusement pushing back the worried expression on his face for a moment “ Of course ma’am, but you know how Miss Walker is. She insisted we all come”

The moonlight was brighter the closer they got to the road, and she could now see the carriage and her groom waiting for her. He and her footman Joseph Booth moved quickly to open the carriage. She was gently lifted inside, grumbling in pain. The doctor rose swiftly into the carriage after her and they were off. 

The Doctor grimaced along with her at every bump in the road, “ Sorry. Figured this would be faster than the wheelbarrow”

Anne coughed, “ Wheelbarrow?”

The doctor shrugged, “ John’s idea.”

Anne rolled her eyes, then promptly groaned as the carriage hit a bump. She slumped further into her seat, and decided to busy herself studying the strange woman before her. 

The woman had shortly cropped blonde hair, shorter than she’d ever seen on a woman, but it framed her features beautifully, even if it was looking a bit wild and unkept. Her skin was fair, and she appeared to be a few years younger than Anne herself. The woman’s mannerisms were peculiar. She fidgeted constantly, her movements sharp and quick. Her clothes were as odd as the rest of her. The coat was torn in places, clearly travel worn. Her shirt was a dark color with stripes of color. Her pants were cropped above her ankles, and her shoes were wide and clunky. The woman was attractive, if unconventionally so. More than anything though, her eyes belied a timeless soul, and a hint of grief.

Anne frowned, “ You said you were a Doctor. You can't be from around here then, women aren’t allowed to obtain medical training here, or abroad…”

The doctor seemed to pull herself out of her thoughts when Anne spoke, her eyes dancing with amusement, “Was there a question in there somewhere?”

Anne sighed, “Yes. Who are you?”

“ I’m the Doctor”

Anne glared at her, “ We already established that. That doesn’t answer the question.”

The woman smirked, “ It does though. My friends call me the Doctor, Doc for short if you like, because we are friends now”. The woman leaned forward and slapped a hand on Anne’s knee as she said it. 

Anne arched a brow at her, wincing when her pain spiked in protest, “ Your name is the Doctor? Really?”

The woman chuckled, “Yes. And you… are the one and only Anne Lister. It’s an honor to meet you, truly. Though I wish we had met under better circumstances”

Anne’s eyebrows lifted, “ Ah… You’ve heard of me then. I can only imagine the things you’ve heard…”

The woman nodded, opening her mouth to say something then thinking better of it, stating simply, “Spoilers”. The Doctor immediately frowned, another flash of grief mixed with confusion in her eyes before she shook it off. 

Anne shook her head in confusion, ready to ask what the strange woman meant when the Doctor abruptly glanced out the window and clapped her hands in excitement, “Shibden Hall. I’ve meant to visit here tons of times, but even with the Tardis, there’s never been a right time…”

The woman's gaze seemed far away, a wistful look in her eyes. 

Anne shook off the strange feeling the Doctor gave off and glanced out the window herself, spotting her wife, her sister and the rest of their staff outside, pale, worried expressions illuminated by the flickering lanterns.

She sighed, grumbling under her breath, “ All this fuss over nothing”

The doctor shook her head, “ Not over nothing. You’re hurt and they care about you. You don’t always have to do it alone you know. You should let people help”. As she spoke, she was already moving, apparently possessing less patience than even Anne. 

The carriage had not fully stopped before the Doctor’s feet hit the ground and Anne marveled at her speed. She thought she was the only one who did that. For her part, she had to be helped down from the carriage and practically carried through the yard to the house. Ann rushed to her side, fussing at the servants as they brought her to the sitting room before gently setting her down. 

As soon as she was seated, Ann was beside her, pressing a warm compress into the cut above her right eyebrow. She hissed in pain and Ann grimaced with her, “ I’m sorry darling” she whispered, the term of endearment was missed by everyone else in the room due to the Doctor’s constant chatter, excitedly greeting Anne’s family. 

“ Aunty Anne, it is an honor to meet you ma’am” as she shook Aunt Anne’s hand a little too vigorously for Anne’s taste. For her part, Anne’s aunt seemed thoroughly confused but charmed by the Doctor’s enigmatic presence. Captain Lister was gruff but polite, expressing his gratitude for the Doctor’s intervention on Anne’s behalf. The doctor waved him off, “ I hardly did anything.”

Captain Lister looked over the Doctor’s appearance, “ Been in wars Miss… Doctor?”

He stumbled over the odd name, and Anne watched a dark look color the Doctor’s expression for a moment before she answered, “ You could say that”

Anne’s brow furrowed,“ What kind of Doctor are you?”

The Doctor glanced at her, amusement in her gaze, “ Jack of all trades you might say”

Anne’s eyebrows went nearly into her hairline, “ You get called Jack as well?”

Marian glanced between them, “ Hardly surprising given the way she’s dressed. Two peas in a pod you two are”

Aunt Ann gave Marian a reproaching look and a light swat, “ Don’t be rude Marian”

The doctor waved off her concern, “ It’s a saying, where I’m from. That’s all. Don’t worry about it”

Ann watched the Doctor curiously, her head flitting between Anne and the Doctor, obviously comparing them. Anne’s fingers gently tangled with Miss Walker’s gaining her attention with a gentle smile. Ann searched her gaze carefully, and apparently satisfied with what she saw, rose smoothly to her feet, crossing the room to take the Doctor’s hand. “ Well whoever you are, I am incredibly grateful you brought Miss Lister home safely”

The Doctor smiled kindly, “ It was my pleasure, honestly”

Ann turned, glancing at Anne meaningfully for a long moment before Anne huffed, “ Doctor, you should stay here tonight. It’s far too late to travel, and I fear the roads will likely be unsafe to travel for a few days given the incident today. I will need a few days to recover. If you are willing to stay for a few days, Miss Walker and I would be happy to take you wherever you need to go after”.

The Doctor mulled it over for a moment before smiling brightly, “ Spend a few days with the legendary Miss Lister and Miss Walker? I would love to.”

Anne glanced at Cordingly who immediately hurried off to prepare the spare room. 

Marian glanced at the Doctor’s disheveled appearance, “ Let me see if I can’t find you something to wear?”

Anne saw the panicked look on the doctors face and intervened, “ perhaps you could give her some of my old clothes? I doubt the Doctor is accustomed to skirts and petticoats”

The Doctor blushed furiously, muttering “ I am familiar with how to get someone out of them in a hurry, but putting them on is another matter entirely” 

Anne and her wife exchanged a knowing glance and Marian coughed before hastily retreating. 

Ann gestured for the Doctor to sit down across from them, and Anne watched with some amusement as the Doctor sat for a moment. The woman could hardly sit still, fidgeting furiously. Anne nudged her wife who smiled at the Doctor, “ So what brings you to Halifax Doctor?”

The Doctor shrugged, “ I’m not sure. I don’t really remember. I don’t think I’m meant to be in Halifax. I was looking for someone… my wife I think...”

Ann’s eyebrows pinched in confusion and Anne gently tugged her wife off of the floor and onto the settee beside her. “ Doctor”

Caramel eyes swirling with confusion met hers and Anne sighed, lowering her voice, “ I know you are not overly familiar with Halifax, but… people can be quite unkind here. You appear to be aware of who I am, along with Miss Walker, and the nature of our relationship ...”

The doctor nodded enthusiastically, “ Yes, I’m a big fan. You both are remarkable women, living in a difficult time… people are rather closed minded round here…” Anne waited for the Doctor to process her own words and nearly laughed when realization sparked in her expression, “ Oh! Right. You are saying I should be more careful…”

Anne nodded, “ Yes Doctor. I was…” she glanced at her young wife, hesitating before confirming Ann’s fears, “ In an altercation again today because people don’t approve.”

The Doctor’s expression darkened with anger, “ Yes, the man on the road”

Ann gasped, fresh tears coming to her eyes, “ Anne, you said again… this has happened before?”

Anne stiffened, noting the knowing look the Doctor gave her as her mind conjured the memory of the last time she had been assaulted. She and Miss Walker, not yet married, had had an argument. Ann had said some incredibly hurtful things to her and Anne had stomped home, unaware of her surroundings, and found herself suddenly attacked. 

The Doctor gently pulled her from her memories, “ Your wife is a strong woman Miss Walker, as I’m sure you know, and I can assure you, even if it has happened before, She gives as good as she gets. Just today, she knocked him to the ground with nothing but her cane”.

Ann stiffened at being recognized as Anne’s wife but Anne was already quickly adapting to the Doctor’s peculiar manner, and the fact that she seemed to know a great deal about them both, and didn't seem bothered in the least. 

Anne leaned forward, briefly checking to ensure no one was in ear shot, “ you said you were looking for your wife. You call yourself The Doctor. You’re clearly not from around here, nor anywhere I’ve been. So who are you really?”

The Doctor smiled brightly at her, “ Every bit as smart as they say you are Lister. Nothing gets by you. Let’s just say, I’m a traveler. You’re right that I’m not from ’round here.”

Anne chuckled, her ribs cutting off her chuckle with sharp pain in protest. She huffed at the twin worried looks from the two women in the room. She waved off their concern. “ I’m fine. It’ll heal”

Ann glanced at the Doctor, “ Is there anything you can do?”

The Doctor shook her head, “ unless… I suppose I could try making a biocellular converter.., but I would need…” she ticked off her fingers silently, mumbling under her breath as she apparently tried to calculate something. She huffed, “ It depends… It’s 1834. Making a biocellular converter is easy enough, if you have the right equipment, but I doubt there is much in the way of tech here in Halifax yet…”

Cordingly returned, along with the servants, interrupting any response from Anne or Ann. 

“ Ma’am, we’ve prepared a bath for you, and one for you Doctor” Anne stood stiffly, swaying on her feet until the Doctor and Ann steadied her. 

Cordingly winced in sympathy, “ I can see if John and Thomas can help you up the stairs ma’am” 

Anne waved her off, “ I’ll be fine”

Cordingly clearly thought otherwise but knew better than to argue. She simply stepped aside as Ann and the Doctor let her lean heavily on them and inched her towards the stairs. 

“ Doctor… Ma’am, Miss Marian has left some of Miss Lister’s things out for you. Eugenie is waiting upstairs to show you to your room”. 

The Doctor nodded and smiled, “ Thank you” 

The woman flustered, unaccustomed to thanks. Anne nodded at the woman, seconding the Doctor’s thanks with her own. Cordingly bowed slightly before retreating, “ If that’s all ma’am, I will turn in for the night”. 

Ann nodded, “ I’ll take it from here Cordingly, thank you”

Cordingly watched them reach the last step before nodding and ducking out of sight. Anne sighed in relief when she reached the washtub and the Doctor and Ann gingerly set her on the small bench beside it. The Doctor fidgeted for a moment, then nodded, “ Right, I’ll leave you to it. See you in the morning Miss Lister, Miss Walker. Lead the way Eugenie”

Eugenie frowned, surprise coloring her expression, “Tu parles français?”

The Doctor grinned and winked, “ Oui bien sûr. Avec mon Tardis, je parle toutes les langues”. Anne's eyebrow's arched. Surely the woman was messing with Eugenie. One moment she had been speaking perfect english, but now she was speaking in French like it was her native tongue. 

Eugenie frowned in confusion, “ Votre chambre est comme ça madame”. 

The doctor tossed a wink over her shoulder before sauntering after Eugenie. She closed the door behind her and Anne let out a heavy sigh. 

Ann was beside her in a moment, “ You alright my love?”

Anne gently cupped her wife’s face, “ I’m always alright Adney” she winked. In truth, she was in a considerable amount of pain. But she didn't want to worry her young wife anymore than necessary. This was the first time in days Ann had spoken to her. Ever since the latest letter some fool from town had sent, Ann had been in a dark mood that even Anne could not pull her from. While her muscles ached and her head was swimming with fatigue and pain, she was relieved that her young wife was at least speaking to her and looking at her, even if it was with pity. 

Ann gently began to undress her wife and Anne helped as much as she could, which wasn’t much. Her shoulder was still sore and deeply bruised. As her skin slowly came into view, covered in a smattering of dark purple bruises, Ann gasped softly, fingers gently tracing each new mark with the pads of her fingers, eyes filling with tears. 

Anne bit her lip and looked away, unable to stand the pity in her wife’s gaze. 

Finally naked, Ann helped her wife stand stiffly, running a soothing hand along Anne’s spine when she grimaced in pain as they shuffled to the edge of the tub. Anne could see Ann’s own spine was bothering her and she hated that her fragile wife was putting her own health at risk to help her. But no matter how many times she tried to send Ann away to let her bathe alone, Ann refused, a hint of steel resolve in her blue eyes. 

Ann’s touch was gentle and soft as she lathered soap across Anne’s skin, careful to avoid putting too much pressure on the numerous marks on her body. 

“ This happened before… when I called us, our love repugnant and queer” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, loaded with quiet guilt. “ When you came back... after the nightmare, I could see the bruises on your face, but you told me it was nothing…” Now Ann’s voice was laced with hurt, “ Why didn’t you tell me?”

Anne didn’t know how to respond to that. So she didn’t. She simply sat in the tub, allowing her young wife to pour another pitcher of warm water over her, washing away the soap, chasing it with gentle hands. Ann sighed, gently wrapping a soft towel around her wife before offering her hand. Anne ignored it, securing her hands on either side of the tub and pulled herself to her feet. She swayed for a moment, nausea roiling in her gut at the sharp pain her decision caused to race through her wounded shoulder. Ann watched her with a pensive gaze as she crossed the room, heading into their shared bedroom to get dressed. She tried for several minutes to figure out how to pull the nightclothes on without further angering her shoulder before Ann finally stepped forward, muttering, “ You are so stubborn sometimes". 

Anne managed a weak smile, which Ann studiously ignored, her eyebrows pinched in exasperation, her tone laced with mild irritation, “ Let me”. 

Anne thought about arguing, but with the thoroughly unimpressed look she received from her wife she conceded, handing over the garment. Ann gently put her arms through, having her wife lower her head as much as she was able as Ann pulled the garment over her. Ann’s hands gently smoothed the garment over her. Anne’s muscles were more loose thanks to the warm bath, and she found it a little easier to walk the rest of the way to her bed. To her surprise, Ann left her for a few minutes, summoning Eugenie from the hall to dispose of the bath water. When Ann returned, she saw her wife's hands twitching in her lap, and retrieved the pocket watch, journal and quill just out of Anne’s reach. Anne sighed in relief and gave her wife a wry, grateful smile. Ann did not return the smile, but her lips twitched with amused affection as she rolled her eyes, before readying herself for bed. Anne normally helped her wife undress, but she was incapacitated and so Ann retreated to the washroom to change alone. Anne sighed, penning her journal, tapping her quill against her lips as she tried to think about how to translate the days events to the page. She was still staring at the blank pages several moments later when her wife returned. Ann arched a brow at the unusual sight of Anne poised over her journal, not writing. 

Anne sighed, closing the journal as her wife crawled beneath the covers beside her. Anne checked her watch once before passing it, the journal and the quill to her wife who accepted them with a small smile, placing them on the nightstand beside her. This was the compromise they had come to. Ann had often teased Anne that she had to compete for her wife’s affections, her chief rivals being the watch and the journal. Anne had agreed that Ann would keep them by her, so that should Anne desire to write, or check the time, she would first have to get past her wife. 

Anne settled beneath the covers, gingerly turning onto her side as much as she could, her hand reaching out, seeking the slender hands of her wife. Ann obliged, intertwining their fingers. She surprised Anne by bringing their hands to her lips, brushing the softest of kisses across Anne’s bruised knuckles, whispering, “ I heard you gave that man quite the thrashing today”

Anne smirked, “ Is that pride I detect in your voice wife?”

Ann chuckled in spite of herself, “ Perhaps” she mused. Her expression clouded with worry, her eyes searching Anne’s, “ Truly, are you alright? I know you must be in a great deal of pain. I want to help…”

Anne’s free hand gently brushed a lock of hair back from Ann’s face, her expression as soft as her voice, “ I am a bit sore…” she admitted, before tugging their joined hands back towards her, kissing Ann’s hand, “ But I will be alright, I promise”.

Ann swallowed, “ I almost lost you today…”

Anne shook her head, “ Don't think like that Adney, I’m alright, truly. A bit bruised yes, but I’ve been worse off before”

Ann’s expression darkened, “ that’s what worries me. You are entirely too comfortable with what happened to you today. How many times has this happened?”

Anne didn't know how to answer that, so she didn't, “ I’m alright Ann. I made it home safe and sound. It was just some fool, probably another errand boy of the Rawsons. I’ll deal with it, as soon as I’ve healed, I promise”

Ann was horrified, “ My cousins did this?”

Anne shook her head, “ Not Catherine, Adney, probably the Rawson Brothers again. This has less to do with us, more to do with their being unhappy that they were bested by a woman”

“Still. My family did this to you!”

Anne gently squeezed her wife’s fingers, “ Shush, my love. I’m fine”.

Ann scoffed, “ You’re covered in bruises. You can barely move your arm… nothing about that is fine”

Anne sighed, “ Yes, I’ve taken a pretty good brow beating, but The Doctor’s right you know, I did give as good as I got, better even” Her eyes sparkled with the faintest hint of mischief and Ann couldn’t help but laugh. Anne relaxed as Ann’s laughter washed over her. She had missed her wife. Having her this close, after days of tense silence between them was a relief. She was almost grateful for the scuffle she had found herself in, almost. 

“ The Doctor is an odd one, isn’t she. More peculiar and singular that even you.” Anne could hear the fascination and curiosity in her wife’s soft voice and smirked. 

“ Yes, she is a bit of an oddity. I’ve met a lot of people in my life, and I’ve never met anyone like her before.”

Ann nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful, “ Do you think she meant what she said about having a wife? How do you think she lost her?”

Anne could see Ann’s mind racing with the possibilities and shrugged, wincing as her shoulder reminded her yet again that it was displeased with the movement. “ I’m not sure. I’m sure we will find out though”

Ann nodded, yawning.

Anne gently ran a finger between her wife's brows, “ Sleep Adney. We’ll solve the mystery tomorrow”

“ You too Pony” 

Anne grinned at the nickname her wife had gifted her. She watched her wife drift off, breathing becomes slow and shallow, and soon her snores filled the room. Anne rolled her eyes, rolling onto her back and staring at the dark ceiling, her mind replaying the events from the day again in her head. She can hear the Doctor tinkering about in the room next to her, occasionally mumbling to herself as she moved about in the guest room. No doubt the Doctor thought she was quiet, but Anne could almost hear what the woman was saying. Eventually, the Doctor tired of pacing the small guest room like a caged animal and Anne could hear the woman quietly close the door behind her and slip down the stairs, the stairs betraying her by groaning underfoot. Anne almost laughed when the woman shushed herself and the stairs. 

Anne wanted to follow the woman, see what she was up to, why she wasn't asleep like the rest of the household, but she was now pinned beneath her wife, unable to move without awakening her due to her incredibly sore body. 

Pushing her curiosity aside, Anne settled in, burying her face in the crook of her wife’s neck, and drifted off to sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

It took the Doctor only twenty paces from Shibden Hall to realize that wandering about in the dark was going to accomplish very little. Stomping her feet petulantly, she turned around, heading to the small shed, and swiped the lantern from it’s hook. She fiddled with the knob for a moment before nodding, satisfied with the light emitted. She glanced once more up at Shibden, noting that there was no light or movement from the large house.

Sighing heavily, the doctor headed out once more, determined to find her way back to the spot where she had found Anne on the road. The fog had settled over the hills of Halifax, thick and cloying, and the doctor found her bright lamp did little to illuminate the road. She dimmed it some and lowered the light closer to the ground, resigning herself to the fact that this was going to be more difficult than she thought. She thought once more about turning back, but she had felt caged in the small guest room. After spending months locked away in Stormcage before finally managing to escape, she was less tolerant of staying still in small spaces than before.

The Doctor didn’t sleep like her human companions. Usually a brief nap every few weeks did her just fine. She was well used to having to entertain herself while her human friends slumbered. Over the years, she had become less restless, more content to stay close by her friends. Trapped alone in 1800’s England, missing her memories and a nameless face, she couldn’t bring herself to sit still.

Loneliness clawed at her, driving her to action. She couldn’t help her wife right now. But she could try to help Lister. Determination set in her jaw and she moved more purposely until she came upon the scene of the assault. The sharp smell of copper filled the air along with something else. Something familiar, but something the doctor could not place. She glanced around, kneeling over the space where the mysterious man had pinned Anne. She traced the outline of the impression in the damp soil with her finger. She replayed the scene in her head, trying to understand what her eyes had seen but her mind had failed to grasp.

“ I’m missing something, I can feel it” she muttered under her breath. She sighed heavily, momentarily starting to turn to Yaz, to ask her bright and keenly observant companion what she was missing, feeling a sharp pang at the reminder of her absence. Annoyed with herself, the doctor stood, picking up the lantern and scanned the surrounding area. She could see signs of the struggle all over the place. The air here felt heavier, almost crackling with an unseen energy. The temperature dropped as her skin prickled, the hairs on the back of her neck raising in alarm. She felt them coming before she saw them, shadows in the mist. She quickly dimmed her lantern and scrambled down the bank and under the nearby bridge for cover. There was no time to cover her tracks. The best she could hope for was that she would remain unseen.

They moved quietly, but the telltale sounds of mechanized suits grew louder as they approached. The doctor peeked around the corner and spotted nine figures, eight in suits, and one lone man, the man from earlier that day, standing with them, muttering quietly to a suited figure. An order was barked and their suits hissed as a rush of ice cold air was released as their helmets retreated, revealing faces covered in teeth.

The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath, shaking her head in confusion. _What are the Stenza doing here?_ She would have assumed they were on another one of their barbaric hunts, except for the human man who appeared to be in league with them rather than prey.

“It was right about here. I attacked her, like I was told, and then this… woman came out of nowhere.”

“ Where is she now?”

“ I don’t know. I imagine she’s up at Shibden with that _Jack the lass_ ” The man spit the word in disgust and the Doctor felt indignation rise in her chest like a tidal wave.

“ you serve no further purpose then” the Stenza warrior stated.

The man backed away quickly, “ wait, Mr. Rawson said…”

The Stenza laughed humorlessly, “ We do not serve at the pleasure of Rawson, he, like you serves us, and you have outlived your usefulness. Beaten by not one weakling, but two. You are no warrior, and you have no honour, so you will die as pathetically as you lived.”

The Stenza’s arms snapped out faster than lightning then, his palm landing firmly on the man’s shoulder, gripping him harshly as an ungloved hand was shoved unceremoniously against his chest. The man screamed before collapsing to the ground.

The Stenza party leader snapped his fingers, “ deal with this. We can’t have anyone learning we are here.”

“ What about the Doctor?” another Stenza asked nervously, “ you heard what she did to T’Zim-Sha.”

The Stenza warrior grabbed the soldier by the neck, “ That name is forbidden, he dishonoured us all in his failure”.

The soldier nodded weakly and was roughly set back on his feet, “ as for the Doctor and her companions, our orders are unchanged. She is not the mission, but if she gets in our way, she will be dealt with”.

The party spread out, quickly removing all signs of the altercations that had occurred there. One Stenza noticed the flurry of prints in the dirt leading over the embankment and stood there for a long moment, peering into the dark. The doctor held her breath, pushing herself as far against the wall as possible. The soldier glanced once more at the various tracks and shrugged, turning away, “nothing that way”.

The leader nodded sharply, too intent on finishing quickly to double check the soldiers work.

The dead man’s body was slung over a shoulder and the group quickly moved out. The Doctor held her breath until they were gone. She realized after a moment she was trembling, and shook it off, wrapping her cloak tighter around her. She was grateful then, that she had been wearing Anne’s attire rather than her own. The dark garments had concealed her well from the Stenza party. She was sure she would be discovered if the Stenza soldier had come down the bank to eliminate the remaining signs of Anne’s earlier scuffle. Fortunately for her, his laziness won out and she was spared.

She quickly scrambled back up the bank and hesitated, debating whether or not to relight the lantern. The Stenza had left little trail, but she was certain that they were headed back towards Halifax rather than to Shibden. Still, her new friends could be in considerable danger if the Stenza decided to go looking for her. She needed a plan.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she muttered, “alright, a plan and a biscuit then”

She decided against using the lantern and made her way back up the road as quickly as she could stumbling through the heavy fog. The sun was just kissing the horizon by the time she saw Shibden sitting on a hilly knoll in the distance. Relief flooded through her at the sight.

By the time the Doctor reached the house, the property was alive with activity. Servants bustled about, workers were out pulling up trees and planting new ones. No one really seemed to notice her as she passed, intent on their tasks. She stumbled through the door, making her way to the dining room, her rumbling stomach and heavy footfalls drawing the attention of the Lister family. Marian arched a sharp eyebrow at her and sighed shaking her head, “ good lord, its like there’s two of you now Anne”

Ann snickered softly and Aunt Ann stood and fussed over the Doctor’s appearance until Anne’s sigh cut through the room, “ Cordingly!”

The heavyset maid bustled into the room nervously, “ ma’am?”

she startled when she saw the doctor’s disheveled appearance. “ right ma’am, lets get you cleaned up and fed.”

Anne gave the servant a sharp nod of approval.

Marian rose as the doctor started to sheepishly follow the maid and barked after her, “ at least take your boots off!”

The doctor nodded and kicked them off immediately as Anne glowered at her sister, “ she is our guest, the least you could do is be civil”

“ and the least she could do is try not to make more work for our servants, honestly Anne. One of you is bad enough. I don’t think this old house can take two of you!”

Anne looked ready to retort angrily, but Ann’s fingers gently rested against her arm, stilling her for the moment. Anne smiled weakly at her wife then watched with some surprise as her young wife stood and followed Cordingly and the Doctor. Ann winked at her wife, “ I’ll be right back”.

The Doctor arched a brow at Ann as she approached, puzzled as to why the young woman had elected to leave her breakfast behind. Ann smiled warmly at her, “ you’ll be needing some fresh clothes. I’ll grab some for you while Cordingly prepares a bath”

Ann held out her hands and the Doctor noticed with a grin that Ann had smuggled her two warm biscuits, “ these will tide you over until you’re cleaned up”

The Doctor nodded gratefully and immediately bit into a warm biscuit with a sheepish grin. Ann laughed lightly, and led the way up the narrow stairs before disappearing into the room she shared with her wife. The Doctor retreated to her own room, and tried repeatedly to help Cordingly who waved her off, more amused by the Doctor than annoyed by the additional work having her around created.

Twenty minutes later, The Doctor was clean, dry and wearing a loose tunic and pants. She smirked in the mirror, imagining the look on Yaz’s face at her current outfit.

_Another face rose, unbidden in her mind, a memory of another time, “how do I look?”_

_A quick, but sharp gaze looked him over for a moment before eyes dancing with equal parts love, exasperation and amusement met his, “ you look amazing”_

_“ I’d better be!” he retorted._

_She laughed, “ Yes you’d better be”_

The aching settled back over her, her expression faltering in the mirror as the memory faded, twinkling eyes vanishing like stars blinking out one by one.

A throat cleared softly behind her and her eyes snapped up to meet Ann’s in the mirror. The young woman’s gaze was soft, filled with a gentle compassion, an understanding that tugged at the Doctor’s heart.

“ You miss her a great deal” It was more a statement than a question. The Doctor nodded and swallowed. After a minute she turned around, catching Ann watching her with a bemused expression. The Doctor arched a brow at her and Ann shook it off, “ you two really are alike you know…”

The Doctor smirked, “ I consider that a great compliment, to be compared to the formidable Lister”

Ann laughed, “ You would. Come on, Most everyone’s gone, but Anne’s still waiting for you. She doesn’t do well being left alone for long.”

The Doctor nodded and grinned, gesturing for Ann to lead the way. They found Anne mindlessly drumming her fingers against the table, lost in thought as they approached. Ann’s gentle touch drew her wife from her thoughts and Anne watched the Doctor take a seat with a sharp gaze.

“ what did you learn last night on your little adventure?”

Ann lightly slapped her wife’s arm, “ Let her at least eat something first Pony”

The Doctor grinned at the easy affection between the two women. She quickly filled her plate with what was left of breakfast and began to fill in her new friends on her adventure”

“ the… what now?” Anne asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

“ The Stenza. Their an alien race, brutal, ruthless killers. I’ve come across them in my travels a few times now…”

Anne’s brows arched nearly into her hairline, “ Alien you say… surely you don’t mean…”

The doctor nodded, “ from another planet, yes…” the doctor hesitated, “ you… may not want to put this in that infamous journal of yours Lister… it might… change the course of history, you understand…”

Anne waved her off, “ yes, Doctor, I am aware of the perils of time travel…hypothetically of course, I’ve never met anyone who has actually explored it in depth before… If, and that’s a big IF, I decide to write about this, I will ensure the record is safely encoded and stored where it wont be easily found.”

The Doctor choked on her eggs, “ Time travel, who said anything about time travel?”

Anne looked at her like she’d grown a third head, “ you did. TARDIS. Time and relative dimension in space, yes? You said its your ship… Time and relative dimension in space, your ship travels through time and space, unless I’ve misunderstood something?”

The doctor stared at her, flabbergasted, “ no… you’ve certainly… grasped the essentials.”

Anne huffed, mildy offended, “well I should certainly hope so.”

The Doctor sighed, “ I meant no offense Lister. Its just that, most people have trouble wrapping their minds around it…”

Anne sniffed haughtily, “well then, I am not most people, am I?”

Ann cut in with a smile, “certainly not Pony, and I doubt the Doctor intended to imply otherwise”

Ann glanced at the Doctor, “ She is more prickly than normal due to her pain I think.”

The doctor nodded solemnly, “yes, about that. I’d like to go into Halifax, if I could. I’ve lost my screwdriver, and I want to see if I cant make a biocellular converter to aid your healing along…”

Both Ann and Anne wore matching expressions of curiosity and confusion. Anne glanced at her wife before sighing, “ I don’t imagine you are going to allow me to go with, are you dear?”

Ann shook her head firmly, “absolutely not. However, I will remain here with you if it helps.” Ann looked at the Doctor, “ take our groomsmen with you, they can help you gather whatever you need. Don’t worry about the cost, consider it repayment of the debt I owe you for saving my… Anne’s life. I insist”

The doctor started to protest but Anne cut in, “ We both do, it’s the least we can do.”

The Doctor sighed, pushing back from the table, full from breakfast and ready to crack on with her plans. “ alright then. But once I get my Tardis back, I’m taking you both for a trip”

Both women’s eyes lit up at the prospect, “really?” Anne asked.

The Doctor nodded, “ anywhere and wherever you want. You have my word”

That settled, The Doctor headed out once more, finding that her hosts had already arranged for the groomsmen and the rig to be readied for a trip into town.

Marian at the last minute decided to tag along. She climbed into the rig quietly, and sat across from the Doctor.

The blonde watched the woman fidget nervously for a while before she finally found the courage to meet the Doctor’s amused gaze. The Doctor took pity on her, “ something on your mind?’

Marian nodded, her expression pensive, “ I apologize for my rudeness this morning. It’s not really my place to bark at you like that, especially after you saved my sister yesterday.”

The Doctor smiled at her kindly, “ It’s alright. I do have a tendency to forget my manners.”

Marian nodded, apparently satisfied. She glanced out the window, before asking, “ so if you are not from round here, where are you from?”

The doctor grinned at the open curiosity in Marian’s voice, “ I’m just a traveler. I don’t really have a home, not anymore”

Sadness filled her at the thought of Galifrey, scorched, destroyed yet again. Her left alone in the world, with the exception of her greatest enemy, the Master.

The last time she had seen him, he had confessed what he had done, and why. She had been so upset, so disturbed, so… frightened, though she’d never admit it. Not to her companions, certainly not to him, and not even to herself. She knew, while she couldn’t fully remember what had happened, that her fear is what had driven her to throw herself headfirst into finding a way to save her wife again, after giving up on the search for centuries. If there was one person she needed at her side, one person who understood her like no one else, one person, the only person to ever know her true name, it was her late wife. Given what she had learned about her true origins, or rather, what she didn’t know about her own origins, there was only one person in the universe she knew would understand what she was going through. The Doctor was no longer sure of who she was. Everything she knew about herself had been a lie and a manipulation. The rules she thought she was bound by no longer applied. She was an anchor-less ship being tossed around by the storms of time. If anyone understood that, it was the woman from her dreams. The woman brought to life to kill him, but who loved him instead. The fiery woman had always been an anchor for the Doctor, the only soul in the universe to see past the mask and see the Doctor for who he was. She knew that had driven her in the greatest moment of fear and loneliness to try and save the woman who had saved her time and time again. She had hoped for a miracle, that they could do the impossible one more time and save each other. The Doctor had never truly thought of her wife as dead. Asleep maybe, but never dead.

What was driving her crazy, more than anything else was the inability to remember her wife’s name, nor how she had ended up here.

Marian gently patted the Doctor’s knee, drawing her out of her thoughts. The woman gave her a sympathetic look, “ I hope you find her Doctor. She must be an incredible woman.”

The Doctor nodded. “ She is”.

Marian gave her a smile, "we're here. Let's get you the supplies you need so you can help my sister and find your woman"


End file.
